Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-06
LIGHTING AND HEATING HOUSES.
Great improvements That Have Been Made
Within Period of Few Years.
BrooklyR Eagle.


An architect of Brooklyn, in the course
of an interview on the subjects of light
ing and heating houses, said: at is not
many years since candles were the only
means of lighting even the homes of the
rich in Brooklyn and other cities, and tie
candeiabra was the many armed holder
for the number Of candles required to
light a moderately sized room. In the
place of candles has come first the gas
from biUuminous coal, which has lately
been made very much more effective by
The use of albo carbon, a product of
naphtha. It looks very much like cam
phor, and is introduced into globe-like
vessel set in the fixture. The flame from
the gas heating It so as to eyaporate the
carbon, which mikes with the common gas,
and gives a light increased about five
fold. This, although new, has been in
troduced into many houses, but more es-
pecially into public buildings and offices,
the fixture for its use being of novel
design, very far removed from the old
style candelabra. But the great improve
ment in lighting is by the electric mean
descent process. This style of Light,
have no doubt, will eventually displace
gas in the better class of dwellings, and
from many of the dangers arising from
the use of gas, the principal one of which
is the vitiation of air. It has been claim
ed by the scientists that one four foot
burner of gas, which is the common size
ygen as four adult persons. Kero-
sene is equally bad. Hence it
is a very important invention which
chon ID 10 fn
luxury-gas, and the much-abused meter.
Brooklyn is far behind even the small
village of Roselle, n. j., where the streets
and almost all the houses, no matter how
modest, are lighted by electricity. But
the day is not far distant when the use of
gas will be relegated to its pr oper sphere,
heating and cooking and manufacturing
purposes. There is a scheme on foot to
utilize the ebb and flow of the tide to
make electricity, which will be stored up
cheaply in some manner not yet discov-
cred, and to deliver it at our dwellings, as
our milk and coal are delivered. I ven
ture to state it can be done, and the day
is not far distant, either.
"Steam heating by indirect radiation is
fast driving out hot-air furnanes, for two
good reasons: It is more healthful and
direct L mean that the outer air is warm
ed by passing through coils of pipes, or
sections of cast iron pipes filed with
steam, and SO into the various rooms of
the house. All the steam piping and coils
are thus placed in the cellar and direct
heat, or heat from aradiator, is only used
when improbable to convey hot-air
ducts. The one great charm about
ca &c 4ha+ -. ia
automatically to meet the rapid change
of temperature, for if steam is radiated
quickly, as in very cold weather,
it operates on the draught hampers of
the, fire opening them, thus increasing the
fire. Boilers for house use are made sec
tionally and SO arranged together that
each does it's share of heating, but in case
of neglect to supply water, which is also
fed automatically, only single section
will break, causing nothing worse than
the necessity for its repair. I once stood
by boiler thus made which burst and
only knew of it when the steam and
water began to put the fire out. A
new feature in this system of heating
has been introduced, which is to lead di-
rect supply of cold air to the hot-air duct,
regulated by hampers, which are controlled
above the register, whereby a large or
small volume of cold air is permitted to
mingle with the hot to reduce it to the de-
sired temperature. It's operation is sim
liar to drawing water not or cold, or both,
mingled to any desired temperature
through the combination bath tub faucet.
This is very valuable in the sudden crowd
ing of rooms at parties, etc, where the
less occupied parts of the house need
more heat and the crowded parts need
the most air for ventilation. This sys-
tenn has been applied with great success,
both in dwellings and churches in Brook
lyn."
Fight With Porcupines-Dogs Whipped and
Hunters Attacked.
BUsHNILLE, Pa, Special. Porcupines,
which have beed rarely seen in this region
for many years, have suddenly appered
in large numbers. These animals are
FORMIDABLE and fierce, although small, and
many valuable dogs have been killed and
disabled in their attacks. Coon hunters
have had several encounters with them
during the past two Or three weeks. Ira
Finley, Of this place had a very exciting
experience with a family of porcupines on
Friday. He was hunting foxes and came
suddenly upon q porcupine lying laziIy
on rock. Finley's dog attacked the
animal at once as 1t lay doing in the
sun, to all appearances a most peaceable
and harmless creature. At the first on
slaught of the dog, however, the porcu-
pine brought its sharp quilts into play,
and the dog beat hasty retreat, with his
head filled with quIlls sunk deeply into the
flesh. The dog ran yelping away and
was seen no more. Finley took aim at the
porcupine, which showed strong inclina-
ton to assume the offensive, but before
he fired, three more porcupines came out
OF the brush, and the four rushed fercely
toward the hunter. Finley shot and
killed one of the animals, but the others
pressed him so closely that he was obliged
to club his gun aud fight them in that
way. Backing round and round in cir
Gle IN the brush, Finley managed to keep
the three Infatuated little animals off of
him, but they were so wary and active that
they succeeded in avoiding his blows
He was afraid to turn and run, and as
his efforts at fighting the porcupines
were beginning to tire him out, he
began shouting for help. Peter Meyers
heard the shouts where he was at work
chopping in the woods, and he hurried to
the spot with his ak. He killed one of
the porcupines, and the other two gave up
the light and disappeared in the brush.